Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has rubbished reports suggesting there was disharmony in the Australia squad during the Asian Cup.
The Socceroos crashed out of the competition at the quarter-final stage as they lost out to Japan in a penalty shoot-out, prompting stories of an unsettled dressing room.

However, Schwarzer insists the morale within the camp was 'exceptional' and doubts whether some of the quotes, attributed to an unnamed player, were actually said at all.

"To hear those sorts of reports were made is laughable and also comments were made but nobody put their names to it," he told Sportal.

"I think people started to look for excuses for performances. And when that happens and you don't perform well, people are going to look in all different directions and things are going to appear, nine times out of 10 it's going to be made up.

"The relationship the players have with one another is unbelievable really for a national team.

"I talk to players in my team, like Stewart Downing, who plays for England. He can't believe the relationship we have as players and the friendships we have compared to what they have in the England side."

Arca enjoying new Middlesbrough role
tribalfooball.com - September 06, 2007

Julio Arca is enjoying his central midfield role at Middlesbrough this season.
The 26-year-old Argentinian has formed a hugely successful central partnership with Brazilian Fabio Rochemback in recent weeks which has coincided with an excellent run of form for Boro.

Arca said: "You always have to work hard to keep your position in the team. Fabio and I understand each other quite well.

"Me, Fabio, George (Boateng) and Lee (Cattermole) have all played in the middle, and we are all different players, so the manager can mix any of us together.

"All of us want to try to do things well. Recently with Fabio and I, we have been playing good football, we understand each other.

"We try not to give the ball away and keep it as much as we can - maybe that's the South American style.

"George, like Lee, is the kind of player that works hard and helps the team get the ball back as quickly as possible and make us play.

Raymondo,ive changed me mind (hope you dont mind?)tommorow Mrs keelo will be having me eating Eier und Blutwurst when i would much rather be having a couple slices Derbyshire black pudding....can you accomodate before i go.....Bitte

Good, ta, Ray. Yeah, I'm much the same, I suppose. Had a trial with Lancashire CCC as a teenager - my father was okay about it but Grandad who'd died a year or two earlier would have been volcanic, I reckon. He used to say Lord Hawke should have been strung up by the bollox for not having been born in Yorkshire, my only saving grace being I was his flesh and blood. Funny lot, these Tykes.

Following a scientific survey carried out by Gallup 20.1% of posters on here are not Boro fans (trolls if you like)

A further 37.9% have never ever been to the Riverside Stadium to watch a match

Of The remaining 42% whilst having visited the Riverside all bar two posters talk total bollox ,

one sensible poster is said to be a beer swilling, cafe/wine bar owning cricket fan and well known Letch from Northern Derbyshire and the other is a beer swilling, lap dancing club entrepreneur with a liking for Creswell tarts - as yet though Gallup have maintained these two peoples anonymity for safety reasons

Morning Raymondo...The current bun is out on the Riviera and we are looking forward to a nice day unlike alas our favourite cricket team who having dominated the early part of the season look as though they have run out of steam at the death....usual please.

Ray..there are reports in some papers this morning that Shoab Ahktar has been sent home from the Pakistan 20 overs mickey mouse squad for hitting a team mate with a bat judging how ugly Ahktar is you would have thought it would have been the other way around...